Growing Up Fast
by WritePassion
Summary: Time is fleeting, and the kids grow up so fast.  Another Sam/Yvette series story, a remnant of what I edited out when writing Back to School, but I liked it too much to get rid of it!
1. Chapter 1

_This is what happens when you start with a concept, and it evolves into something totally different that needs its own story. Here is what is left of what eventually became the story Back to School._

**Growing Up Fast**

By WritePassion

_It seems like yesterday, we brought him home from the hospital. Today, Samuel is three! Where did that time go? Next month, it will be Esperanza's eighth birthday. She's such a smart kid, funny, adorable, and I love her to pieces. In July, Eve and I will be married four years. I don't even want to think about how old I am! Age doesn't seem to matter when it comes to Eve and me. I thought about it when she was pregnant with Samuel, but after he was here, all my worries were for nothing. I'll still be around when my kids are grown and starting their own families. As long as I can see my grandkids, I'll be happy._

_ The thing I worry about is my Dad. He seems to forget things that he used to be so sharp on. It's starting to affect his work at Carlito's. If it weren't for the fact that his boss likes him, and he works twice as hard as those young punks who'd rather drink than serve, he would be done. I know Maddie sees it too, but she's afraid and it's easier to stick her head in the sand and not acknowledge that something is wrong._

"Sammy, you here?"

Sam heard his father's voice calling from downstairs. "I'm up here, Dad!" He quickly stuck the bookmark into his journal and tucked it away into a drawer he locked. Inside, beside the journal, he kept some documents containing intel on current and past cases, a gun, and little treasures of life with his family. By the time Samuel Sr. got to the top of the stairs, Sam secured the drawer and met him on the landing.

"Hey, Son."

"Hey, Dad. Is everything okay?"

Samuel grinned at him. "Everything's fine! I just thought we were going fishing today."

"Uhh...that's tomorrow." He glanced at the calendar hanging from a cork board on the office wall, just to make sure he wasn't wrong about the date. "Yeah, that's tomorrow. Because you had to work today, remember?"

Samuel looked at his son with a sense of disorientation marring his features. His brow crinkled in thought. "You're right." Then a grin crossed his face and he chuckled. "Boy, I tell you, when you're retired the days just kind of all run together sometimes! Thanks for the reminder, Sammy!" He clasped his son's arm. "I better get going then, don't want to be late for work."

"Yeah. I'll probably see you later."

"Alrighty. See you soon!"

Sam stood at the landing and watched his father descend the stairs with growing concern. Samuel hesitated half way down, then continued on his way. A few moments later, Sam heard the screen door slam, and he was alone.

He shook his head. "Okay, enough lollygagging. Time to get some work done!"

Sam was glad that Yvette gave him a detailed list of what to buy. As for himself, he had no clue what would make a three-year old's party complete. Being with their son every day, she had a better handle on what he liked, and in general, how a kid his age operated. Sometimes he wondered if he wasn't spending enough time with him, but after talking with other fathers, he realized he was far above average. He was close to Samuel, but he could never compete with Yvette. He was okay with that; after all, that was what a mother did. His own mother spent a lot of time with him, and he appreciated the love and attention. _Then again, maybe it was too much. If she hadn't been so clingy, maybe I wouldn't have spent so much of my life looking for someone to replace her._

He picked up the list from the refrigerator door and scanned it. Under the list of supplies, Yvette wrote, '_And don't forget Samuel's favorite ice cream!'_ in large print at the bottom. "I wouldn't dream of it."

It was another hot Miami day, so the grocery store would be the last task on his list. He went to the shop where Yvette suggested he get the party supplies, hunted down the items on the list, and walked out with a large bag stuffed with everything that would make Samuel's party complete. He opened the shop door and ran smack dab into a woman who seemed to come from out of nowhere.

"Sam!"

He looked down at the platinum blonde who smiled warmly up at him. All he could do was gape for a few seconds until he got his bearings again. After the last time he saw her, he thought she would never cross his path again. "Veronica!" It took him a few moments to form the question. "How..how've you been?"

"Fine, but things just haven't been the same since we broke up." She smiled seductively as she looked him up and down. He stepped forward to get out of another shopper's way and shifted the bag to his other hand. The glint of gold on his left hand caught her attention, and disappointment filled her eyes. "Did you, uh, get back together with your ex?"

"Huh?" It was then that he realized that she saw the ring, and he shook his head. "No, I, um, got that worked out."

"I see."

By the clipped tone, Sam knew he had to explain. "Amanda and I are no longer married, and I...I met someone else. Her name is Yvette." He cleared his throat nervously. "We've got two great kids." Pride won out over his discomfort, and he grinned.

"Two kids? Sounds like you didn't waste any time, Sam."

The hurt in her voice stung as if she'd slapped him. "Well, one we adopted. I'm sorry, Ronnie. It just wasn't meant to be, that's all."

"I really did love you. I was a fool to let you go after you told me you were still married."

He didn't have the heart to tell Veronica that while he was dating her, he was actually a free man. It didn't matter that he was ignorant of that fact at the time. If she found out, it would have only made the rejection hurt worse. "I'm sorry. There's really not much else I can say."

Veronica pasted on some false bravado and smiled. "Well, good luck to you, Sam. And good luck with your family. I hope they realize what a sweet guy you are."

"I think they do." He closed the space between them and hugged her tenderly. "If fate hadn't intervened..." He kissed her cheek. "Take care, Ronnie."

"You too, Sam. Maybe some day I can meet the woman who stole you away." She showed him a toothy smile and walked away.

He watched her retreating form and saw her carefully swipe at her made-up eyes. For a moment, he wished it didn't have to be this way, that things could have worked out with them, but then he would have missed out on so much. The bag in his hand was proof of that. He shook his head, casting off the thoughts of what might have been. _Gotta take care of these errands and get home before Eve does. We have a party to put on!_

He arrived home first, so Sam quickly put his purchases away and retreated to his office to pull out his journal. _Ran into Veronica, literally. I was ashamed to admit to myself that I'd pretty much forgotten about her until today. I thought I loved her when we were seeing each other, and I know she was crazy about me. So how could she disappear so effectively off my radar? I feel bad that I let her drop out of my life like that, but then, it was probably for the best. Meeting again reopened an old wound for her, and I wish that she and I hadn't crossed paths today. For her sake, I hope she never sees me again._

"Axeman! You home?" Jack bellowed loud enough to hear him upstairs.

Sam shook his head and stowed away the journal, locked the drawer, and hurried downstairs before Jack tore the locked screen off its hinges, or Mrs. Petersen called him asking why that crazy man was screaming again.

"Jack, keep it down, man! Otherwise, Mrs. P'll be calling the cops!" He unlocked the screen. "You know she's campaigning to be block captain."

"I hope somebody's running against her." He looked at Sam. "I'd vote for you any day."

"Not me. I just helped get the neighborhood watch off the ground, and like most of the people around here, I don't have the time that woman has. You can't vote anyway. You're in a different neighborhood, pal." He let Jack pass. "Whether she wins or not, I'd like to keep on her good side."

Jack's laughter came from deep inside as he followed Sam into the kitchen. "Don't worry, buddy, she's cool with me, after I talked to her ladies' group about self-protection."

"So that's what your last job was? You must be really hard up for cash." Sam teased. He grabbed two cold ones from the fridge.

"I've got a lot of stuff going on." He paused and took the beer Sam offered him. "So, how's business with you, Mike, Fi, and Jesse?"

Sam took a swig of his beer. "It's okay. Jesse went back full-time to that security firm, so he just helps out now and then. Fi has been taking it easy. I never thought I'd see her slow down, but as she gets farther along, she gets more worried. Eve keeps telling her to just keep going as if nothing has changed, but I think Fi is taking this whole pregnancy more serious than anything she's ever done."

"So it's just you and Mike then, huh?"

Sam shrugged. "Mike is still doing covert ops for Pearce and the CIA, on a freelance basis. I think he's trying to get it out of his system before the baby comes."

"What you're tellin' me then is you're hanging out here with nothing to do, am I right?"

"Yeah." Sam answered and took a drag on his beer. "Hey, let's go sit out on the porch."

Jack laughed. "Getting tired of being cooped up. What's Yvette been up to? I would think you guys would take advantage of the time you're off."

"She's got her own friends, ladies from church, other stay at home moms. Just about every day she's off with them having play dates for the kids or whatever." Sam dropped into a padded chair and motioned for Jack to sit in the one to his left. A small wrought iron table sat between them, plenty of room to set down their bottles. "I'm tellin' ya Jack, I'm starting to get a little stir crazy! I've actually been cleaning house! How sad is that?"

"Come work with me."

Sam glanced at his friend. "You really make enough to split 50-50 and have it be worthwhile?"

"Since when did you get so worried about the money?"

"Not so much for myself. I'm worried about you!"

"I made a lot more as an architect than in the service, buddy. And I invested wisely, so there's no reason to worry about me." He gave Sam a long look and tipped up his beer. Then he swallowed and said, "From what you told me, you weren't exactly in good financial straights before you met Yvette."

"Are you kidding me? I was living off the sugar mommies while I squirreled away my pension." He took a swallow of beer. "Not that I'm proud of that, mind you. It's just the way it was." He shook his head. "Money is not the issue. It's having something to do with my life, and not having the team together the way it used to be...man, I didn't think I'd ever miss working with Fi!"

"Well, until everybody gets their act together, come work with me. I need you, Axeman." Jack's eyes pleaded with him.

"I'll think about it, and talk to Eve."

Jack let out a breath. "You can't make a decision without her? Come on, man, don't tell me you've become..."

"No, it's just that I respect her enough to get her input. If I really want to do something, most likely I'll do it anyway. I just don't want her to be in the dark about anything. It's too dangerous."

Jack nodded. "Okay, I get it." He paused and looked at his friend with amazement. "Gotta give you props, Axeman. A lotta guys would just do what they want and if the little woman doesn't like it, tough."

"It makes things easier in the end. You don't wanna get your household manager in a snit. Believe me!" He grinned and drained his beer. "Which reminds me...the manager is going to be upset with me if she comes home and finds out I don't have everything ready for the party this afternoon!" He stood. "Wanna help?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

When she arrived home with Samuel, Yvette found the cake sitting on the counter with paper plates nearby, and the crock pot was on with sloppy joe inside cooking away, the spicy scent filling the house. She heard voices coming from the front porch and recognized Jack's. She smiled. It grew when she entered the dining room and found the table extended and covered with a paper table cloth, a centerpiece, streamers hanging from the light fixture and stretched to the corners of the room. Each place setting had party favors and other little things, exactly the way she wanted it. Helium balloons, a nice touch she hadn't expected, floated up from small weights placed in the corners of the room and were tied to the backs of the chairs, the colorful orbs looking like bubbles placed at various heights. It was a nice touch to the undersea theme.

"Sam?"

"Out here, honey!"

She hurried to the front door and opened it to see the two men sitting in the shade enjoying a couple of beers. "The balloons are awesome. You really outdid yourself."

"Well, that was Jack's idea, really. He helped me set up and when we got done he said we were missing balloons. So we went back to the store, got what we needed, and there you go. Ready for a party!"

Yvette's smile widened and she directed it at Jack. "Thank you, Jack. Are you sure you don't have some secret kid around?"

Jack laughed. "No, I just act like one. Ask Sasha."

"Oh, she's told me plenty!" Yvette laughed. "Did you guys have lunch yet?"

"We stopped for some Cubans on the way home," Sam replied. "A little payment for Jack's help. That and we had business to discuss."

"Business?"

"Yeah, Sam's gonna help me out with a little job I've got. Since Michael Westen and company seemed to have retired for awhile..."

"Oh." Yvette sounded disappointed. She'd been getting used to, if not taking advantage of, Sam being around the house more lately. "Well, hopefully it's a little less...stressful...than working with Michael. If you'll excuse me, I have to get things wrapped up before three."

"Uhoh."

"See? I told you I should have consulted with her first."

"She'll get over it."

"Sam, I need your help in here!"

"The manager calls." Sam sighed and stood. "Hey Jack, are you sticking around?"

"Are you kidding? I'd rather get overrun by a team of Iraqi insurgents than a bunch of three-year-olds! You have yourself a good time...hope you survive, and if so, I'll see you tomorrow for coffee, right?"

"I'll be there." Sam collected the empty bottles and tucked them under one arm. "I think you're missing out, but hey, your loss! Later, Jack!" He entered the house as Jack headed to his car.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Sam's shoulders ached. His back screamed. He hadn't been through so much abuse since...he had to think back a bit to remember the last mission in which he hurt all over. Jack was right. A team of insurgents would have been far more manageable than ten pre-schoolers. His ears still rang with the shrieks and laughter of children revved up on sugar-infused punch and cake, running around the back yard in a chaotic mass. Mrs. Petersen watched from her kitchen window for awhile, and eventually she came over to complain. Or at least, Sam thought she would complain. He stood in amazement when she watched the kids play, a hint of a smile on her face. One of the kids ran into her, but instead of getting upset, she touched the child's head, spoke to him, and let him run back to his friends. As the kids got older and grew up, their crotchety old neighbor was becoming more and more of an enigma.

He had every intention of going over to her to ask what she wanted, but he never made it. Instead, he found himself pushing kids on swings and fixing up a knee scraped on the corner of the sand box. When he turned around, she was gone.

Yvette fell into bed beside him and let out a groan. "Sam, next year, do me a favor and remind me how Samuel's birthday party went this year. Okay?"

"You got it, babe." He twisted too far and groaned. "If we do this again, we're going into training starting tomorrow."

She laughed and carefully rolled over to curl up against him. "Where do they get all that energy? If only we could have had them use some of it to help clean up."

He laughed aloud. "Dream on." He put his arm around her and placed a kiss on her forehead.

Yvette sighed. "It was a great day, despite all the effort and energy we expended. I never had a party like that when I was a kid."

"Me neither. Did you see my dad? Talk about being wiped out! He's gotta be in a coma by now."

He closed his eyes and remembered the look of pure joy on his father's face as he helped Sam with the kids in the yard. In the older man's eyes he could see the regrets of what he missed out on when his son was growing up, but his dad took in every detail of the day as a balm to his soul. He had grandkids now, and through them a whole new set of good memories to develop. Sam knew where he was coming from, because despite how much time and effort went into raising his kids, he valued every moment as if it were gold. Some day they would be grown up and on their own. That time would be there before they knew it, and when it happened, he would have no regrets.

"So, are you going to be able to handle that job with Jack?"

"It'll be a piece of cake compared to this!"

"Oh please, don't talk about cake," Yvette mumbled.

Sam had visions of blue icing ground into the tan area rug in the dining room. "Just be glad we never carpeted the floors. We'll get the rug cleaned and it'll be good as new. If not, well, just think of it as a little party favor that'll remind of us of this day forever." He smiled. "And when Samuel gets older, we can tell his girlfriend all about it."

"Sam, you're terrible." Yvette's laughter caused her to bounce against him. "Good night, sweetheart."

"Good night, hon." He was almost asleep, replaying the images captured in his brain from the day, when something occurred to him. "Eve?"

"Hmmhmmm,"

"You know we have to do this all over again next month for Espie's birthday, right?"

"Ohhhhhhh, don't worry about it now. It'll be a sleepover. Much different," she mumbled.

_A sleepover? _The only information he on such things came from his younger days, when his friends' sisters had slumber parties. Occasionally, he and the boys would get together and crash a sleepover in the middle of the night, scaring the girls and making it more like a nightmare than a party. Before they busted them up, the guys watched from outside the window as the giddy girls jumped around, did their nails, ate snacks, giggled, and just generally acted like girls, only more so. _Maybe Samuel and I can sleep at Dad and Maddie's that night!_

That was his last thought as he fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Eve, you can't be serious!"

"I am. I need your help with this party, Sam. I'll need you to drive some of the girls to the skating rink."

"Skating rink. This is Miami. Who ice skates in May?"

"Plenty of people, and your daughter is one of them," Yvette replied with a glare. "She's been wanting to take lessons, and I thought this would be a good way to get her started with her friends there."

"Okay," he relented. He was a sucker, he knew it, and he wasn't the least bit ashamed of it. He loved his daughter so much, if she wanted a trip to the moon, he'd find a way to make it happen.

But he also knew the fickleness of her soon-to-be eight-year-old heart. A month ago she wanted to be a ballerina. Before that she wanted to be a trapeze artist. He had Sasha to thank for getting the idea into her head, which the girl nearly cracked open on the monkey bars at school. Now she had visions of figure skating stardom, so he would indulge her long enough to either get it out of her system or find out whether she had an aptitude and a desire to continue. When he lived in Michigan as a teen, he practically lived in skates in the winter as he and his friends got together to play scrub games of hockey on Grandma and Grandpa Axe's pond behind the farmhouse. _Do I still have it? I guess I'll find out soon enough._

To his surprise, Yvette also roped Michael into helping. Samuel would have been her next target after Sam, but he had an excuse. He was working that day. Michael, Sam, and Yvette met with their vehicles at Esperanza's school that Friday, just before school let out.

"Hey Mike, thanks for helping us with this." They stood waiting, leaning against Michael's car, feeling the heat radiate from the side and the asphalt lot.

"No problem, Sam. Fi thought it might be fun for me, kind of get me acclimated to being a dad," he chuckled. "I think she's just tired of me worrying about her all the time when we're together. The baby is almost here, and...I guess I've been driving her a little nuts. I can't help it, Sam! I worry about her, whether she's getting enough sleep, or she's eating right..."

Sam laid a hand on his shoulder. "I've been there, buddy. Don't worry, she'll be fine. If anybody can tough it out, it's Fi."

The bell rang, and soon after a herd of screaming kids came out of the building in one massive swirling mob of color and sound. Somewhere in the mess was his daughter and her friends. He scanned the faces until he saw her. She waved, grabbed her best friend Zoe's arm and ran toward him. The other girls in her party followed.

"Dad!" Esperanza launched herself into Sam's arms. He was grateful he had the car behind him as she plowed into his body. As she got older, it became harder for him to stand his ground when she did that.

"Hey, Espie! If I didn't know better, I'd think you were only just a little bit excited about tonight," he teased as he hugged her.

She laughed and squeezed him tighter. "I can't wait!"

"Well, let your mom do a head count first to make sure we've got everybody, and then we'll go."

Yvette had a list of the attendees, their parents' names, addresses, and phone numbers in case of emergency. He was impressed by her skills in planning such a complicated affair. No doubt, she could have put a few of his commanding officers to shame. It made him start to think that maybe, when Samuel was old enough for school, she could join with him and Jack, or team Westen, and help with planning and organization.

"Sam?"

"Hmm?"

"We're ready to go," Michael said as he elbowed him gently.

"Oh, okay. Who's riding with me, Eve?"

She consulted her list. "You've got Espie, Selena and Zoe. Michael, you have Ellie, Gracie, Madison, and Tara. And I have Allison, Debi, Kate, and Roxanne. That's eleven girls."

"Eleven?" Michael winced and looked at Sam. _I feel for you, my friend._

After Yvette was out of earshot, Sam muttered, "Now you know why Maddie is coming over tonight, and Samuel and I are staying with Dad!"

"Smart move."

They arrived at the ice rink and thanks to Yvette's detailed planning, the skates were already picked out for them. Shoes piled up in a heap near one bench as the girls threw them aside to get into their skates. One by one they tentatively stepped onto the ice. A few flailed and tried to keep their balance, some with success. Sam watched with amusement as he finished lacing up his skates.

"Hey Mike, you know how to skate?" He glanced at his friend as he laced up a pair of hockey skates.

"Oh yeah, it's been awhile, but I don't think I've lost it."

"Me neither, brother. I'm actually kind of looking forward to this." He stood, tested the positioning of his feet inside the boots, and sighed in contentment. He never thought they'd come in handy again, but he was glad he kept them in storage all these years. They still fit snug, but not too tightly. "See you out on the ice, Mikey!"

Michael watched as Sam approached the boards, pushed off the rubber matting with one blade, and hopped onto the ice. It was like watching a duck take to water as he skated the outer edge of the rink, tracing intricate patterns, twisting and turning around every struggling, wobbly girl he came across. He never knew Sam could be so graceful. He made one round before Michael was even on his feet, and by the next time he passed, Michael stood at the gate preparing to get on the ice. Sam headed for him full speed, turned his hips, and did a perfect hockey stop that sent ice crystals flying into the air, obscuring Michael's vision until they floated back down to the surface.

"Come on, Mike. Has it been that long?"

"I wasn't as avid a skater as you, obviously. But I can do this."

One of the kids skittered past Sam and ran into the boards hard. She slid down and landed on her butt. "Ouch, that's gotta hurt. Hey, you okay?" Sam skated over to check on her, leaving Michael alone to take his first step on the ice in several decades. Sam wasn't looking, but still he instructed, "Knees bent, Mike, and lean forward."

"I remember, Sam." He shook his head, but he had to acknowledge that Sam was right. He almost forgot to keep his weight balanced correctly.

As he gained confidence in his supposedly long-lost skills, Michael could see that the girls needed some lessons. Their back sides spent more time on the ice than their blades. At least they were having fun, laughing and smiling. Sam fell into teacher mode, showing some of them how to stay upright and propel themselves across the ice. A few with some skills wound up tailing him, and before long he had a trail of eleven little girls tagging along behind, holding onto each other as he slowly skated with them around the rink. Fiona ordered Michael to take pictures and video of the occasion, so he whipped out his phone and got the moment for posterity, grinning the entire time. She was going to love this.

All the while, Yvette clung to the boards near the gate, a look of fear in her eyes. Every time she tried to take a step forward, she felt like she was completely out of control. It frustrated her. She wanted to have fun with the others, but she didn't know how. Finally, Sam saw her floundering, left the kids to their fun, and approached her.

The look on her face reminded him of the day they met, when the undertow threatened to take her out to sea and she was powerless to stop it. And like that day, he held out his hands and offered his assistance. "Come on, let's get you around this ice at least once."

"Sam, I've never been on ice before. I can't stay up!"

"Sure you can." He looked down at her skates and shook his head. "First thing, we have to re-lace those. You've got no support." Before she could look down at the pitiful job she did, he picked her up and skated her back to the door, her toes just inches from the ice.

She laughed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, enjoying the ride. "Oh, this is just fine. You could do this all night, and I wouldn't mind!"

He let her down on the rubber floor matting, kissed her, and let her go so he could get off the ice himself. "Not a chance, sweetheart. You're going to skate, and you're going to love it. Sit here."

Yvette did as he ordered and studied how he tightened the laces and laced them up the ankle. When both skates were done, he took her hands and helped her stand.

"Better?"

A small smile crept across her face. "Actually, yes!"

"Good. Now let's go back on the ice. And when you step on, lean forward a little bit, put your weight toward the front of the blade, not the back. Unless you want to fall on your butt."

"Not exactly. I've already done that." She rubbed her hip.

"Okay. I'm right behind you all the way, and I promise I won't let you fall." With his hands on her elbows, he pushed her forward gently and got on the ice. Then he instructed her in how to push and glide.

It took her at least ten minutes to make one round with a lot of slipping and scrambling for her balance, but Sam was always there behind her to keep her from hitting the ice. After the second round took half the time, she felt more confident. On the third trip around, she and Sam were side by side. He put his right arm around her waist, took her left hand in his, and hip to hip, led her into slow, lazy meandering curves around the rink, showing her how to cross her feet to maneuver into the curves.

"Oh Sam, this is fun!" She grinned at him.

"It'll be even more fun when you stop gazing at your feet and just watch where you're going." He smiled back at her.

She tried it, and he was right. Esperanza stood with some of her friends in the center of the rink, watching with amazement as they took another trip around the ice. "Hey Mom, you rock!" Someone whistled, and Sam had the sneaking suspicion that it was Michael. "Okay, now that you're comfortable with that..." He turned so he faced her and skated backwards.

"Sam, what are you doing?" Her eyes showed her unease with his surprise move. He still kept his hand at her waist, but his pose was more like a waltz position.

"You just keep skating forward like we were. Don't freak out, this'll work." Slowly she began to relax again, and he pulled her a little closer. "I know you trust me."

"You don't even have to doubt that, Sam."

"Good." He smiled, pulled her almost against him, and moved his feet, turning her so she had her back to the direction they were going. Before she could protest, he moved her again, and they skated as if they were dancing. "Relax and just let me do the driving, Eve."

She focused on him and the love and pleasure in his eyes, losing track of how many times they went around the rink. Eventually she caught on and was able to match some of his moves. But he had another surprise for her as he took them into the center, lifted her off the ice, and spun them in a circle. Instinctively, she drew up her knees and rested them on his bent knee on the leg that pivoted them around.

Michael got every bit of it on his phone, and not just for Fiona's pleasure. This would make a nice little surprise for their anniversary. Especially when they stopped, Yvette put her feet back on the ice, and with their eyes locked on each other, they kissed. The girls giggled as they slipped by, but the couple was oblivious to their reaction. When he let her go, he said something that Michael couldn't hear. She nodded, turned away from Sam, and took her first push off without anyone's help. The look on her face was priceless.

"Sam, I did it!" She turned to face him, threw her hands up in the air, and promptly fell on her backside.

Michael cringed. He was only a few feet away, but too far to help. "Ohhhh, you okay, Yvette?"

To his astonishment, she laughed. Sam snowplowed to a stop and reached out for her hand. She took it, got a skate underneath herself, and stood while swiping the loose ice crystals off her jeans. "I don't think that'll get me any perfect scores."

"Are you okay, honey?"

"I'm fine. Thanks for the hand." She gave him a peck on the cheek, turned on her skates, and tried again. This time she successfully got around without anyone's help.

"She's got a lot of determination," Michael said in awe as he watched her and shot more footage with his phone.

"Yeah. She's got a lot of good qualities. I'm glad I married her." Sam smiled. "I was thinking that maybe when Samuel starts pre-school we could bring her onto our team. If Fi decides to take off for awhile to be with the baby, we'll need the estrogen for our little group."

Michael stared at Sam. He hadn't even given a thought to Fiona not being part of the team. He didn't like the idea, but he had to adapt. Times were changing. "You've got a point. We'll talk about it when the time comes."

"Sam, it's time for us to wrap this up," Yvette said as she turned around and did a backwards snowplow to stop.

"Hey, where'd you pick that up?"

She grinned. "I had to figure out some way to stop! You didn't teach me that part!"

"Oh yeah." He smiled. "Sorry about that."

"No worries. We'll have to do this again sometime, and who knows, maybe I'll take some lessons myself!" She turned to Michael. "Your mom and Samuel bought Espie a series of lessons for her birthday present, along with her own pair of skates. I think after today, it looks like it was a wise investment." She inclined her head toward the center of the ice. Roxanne and Esperanza were in the middle, and her friend was teaching Espie a few things. "I guess now we know who influenced her."

"Oh great. I hear being a figure skater isn't cheap," Michael said as he tapped his friend's arm. "Good luck with that, Sam."

"Thanks a lot, Mikey!" He pushed away from the boards and began to skate around the ice, catching up to each girl and getting them to head for the benches. By the time he herded them all off the ice, Michael and Yvette were in street shoes again. He was the last one to change.

Sam drove the girls to their house, and once he knew he wasn't needed any more, he grabbed his overnight bag and headed for the door.

"Aren't you forgetting something," Yvette asked and Esperanza followed him to the kitchen.

"Uh, I don't think so." Then he smiled, dropped the bag, and took his daughter into a big hug. "Happy birthday, honey. I hope you had a good time tonight."

"I did, Daddy. Thank you! And we're gonna have a lot more fun all night long!" She gave him a kiss on the cheek and then turned away to join her guests and Maddie in the living room.

Yvette sighed. "It's going to be a long night. I keep hoping they'll poop out from the skating, but somehow I don't think that's going to happen."

"I'd stay, but...I think it'd be a little awkward being the only guy around." He took her into his arms and kissed her deeply. "I'll miss you tonight."

"I'll miss you too. Have sweet dreams of us gliding around on the ice together."

"Yeah. We'll definitely have to do that again. Even in the middle of summer." He kissed her one more time before he let her go, and then he was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It was quiet at Samuel and Maddie's house. Sammy had a room to himself, and Sam lay on what would be his side of the bed at home, missing the sound of his wife's soft even breathing. He stared at the ceiling, wondering how she and Maddie fared with the kids. The floor above creaked, and he heard his father's footsteps. In the dark, Sam smiled.

"Sammy, you awake," Samuel whispered through the open door.

"Yeah, can't sleep either?"

"No! I've gotten so used to Maddie being there, without her...it's impossible!"

"Is Samuel asleep?"

"I checked on him, he's out like a light."

Sam flopped his head back onto the pillow and let out a breath. Then he sat up. "I'm just not going to get any sleep tonight, thinking about them over there, wondering how they're doing."

"Well, we could always get Samuel up and do a little recon, just us boys." In the dim light coming from the kitchen, Sam could see a wicked grin on his face.

"You're bad," Sam scolded, but he'd been thinking the same thing, so he wasn't much better. "And what do you plan on doing once we do our recon?"

"We invade of course, and scare the crap out of them."

"Dad! You're as bad as I was with my friends when I was a kid."

He waggled his eyebrows. "Where do you think you got the devious genes, Son?"

"You know, as tempting as that sounds, I think I'd rather just live and let live. We do this, who knows what the girls will have planned if Samuel ever has a sleepover."

"Party pooper." Samuel grunted. "Fine, I'm going back to bed and try to get some shut-eye. 'Night, Son."

"'Night, Dad." He shook his head in disbelief. His dad really wanted to storm the house all in fun. He remembered how girls reacted to such a tactic. It wasn't favorable. _I guess some people never grow up!_

The plan was for Sam to return in the morning to help with breakfast and get the girls together before their parents came to pick them up starting at ten. Because it took him so long to get to sleep, he almost missed his cue to get up. Thankfully, he had a little boy named Samuel to pounce on him.

"Ohhhh," Sam groaned as his son threw his entire weight on him. "You're getting so big, some day you'll flatten me doing that, kiddo!"

Samuel laughed. "I wanna be a wrestler, Daddy."

"Oh boy. I think you're well on your way." he got Samuel in a fake chokehold and tickled him until he screeched from laughter. "Uhoh, better knock it off. Grandpa might be trying to sleep yet."

"Not anymore," Samuel grunted as he trudged past the room toward the kitchen. "I'll get the coffee going, and you two better get yourselves together."

With large insulated mugs in hand, the two men walked over to Sam's house with Samuel trotting along between them. Sam unlocked the back door and entered first, amazed at how quiet it was. The three walked through the kitchen that looked like a bomb had gone off in it. Popped and unpopped corn kernels crunched under their feet. A wide puddle of soda worked its way across the counter to the sink and dripped slowly to the floor like a Chinese water torture set up. A pan of brownies sat on the stovetop, and the two left inside were picked to death by little fingers.

The dining and living areas weren't much better. Sleeping bags carpeted the floor from wall to wall, with little girls unconscious after so much activity and the downward spiral after the sugar rush. In the middle of it all lay Yvette and Maddie on an air mattress, both out for the count.

"Oh my..." Samuel breathed as he took in the sight.

Amid all the sleeping girls, wrapping paper lay everywhere with presents, games, and other girly things. A bottle of dark purple nail polish lay on its side on the dining room table. Sam saw it and carefully tipped it upright, well knowing it was too late to stop the damage, but at least it made him feel a little better knowing it couldn't get any worse.

"Now, see why I didn't want to come over here last night," Sam whispered.

Samuel could only nod, shocked at the mess. "And you thought Samuel's party was bad."

When they retreated to the kitchen, Sam said, "Next year, we're going to a pizza place where they've got the games and the characters running around in mouse costumes or whatever." He righted the soda bottle, grabbed a washcloth from the drawer, and mopped up the sticky mess. "We have to clean this kitchen before we even think about making breakfast!"

"Where's the broom?"

Sam kept little Samuel busy with a coloring book at the kitchen table while he and Samuel tried to keep the noise to a minimum cleaning the room. "Jeez, I wish there was a place that delivered breakfast, because I sure hate to mess up the kitchen again after we just got it all cleaned up!"

"It won't be nearly as bad as it was, Sammy." Samuel reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a bag that Yvette labeled 'breakfast'. He set the contents out on the newly cleaned countertop. "Okay, we've got eggs, sausage, bacon..."

"I'm making waffles," Sam said. "That's what Espie wanted, so that's what I'm making."

Samuel swallowed. "From scratch?"

Nodding, Sam replied with a serious tone. "From scratch. I need two bowls." He held up a whisk. "You good with egg whites?"

"Not like I have a choice." He grabbed the whisk and one bowl from Sam.

"Well, you could always go home and leave me to do this by myself." He cocked a grin even as he gave him a guilt-inspiring look.

"Not a problem."

The two worked together to make breakfast, and the scent of cooking reached the kids in the other room. One by one they awoke, prepared themselves for their departure, and packed up their sleeping bags. Yvette and Maddie cleaned off the table well enough for the girls to eat there. When the last girl was gone, the four adults looked around the room.

"It's not so bad," Maddie said.

"If you compare it to Hiroshima," Sam joked.

"Oh, Sam! We'll have this cleaned up in no time, especially with Esperanza helping."

"Aw, Mom, do I have to?" She yawned with a wide open mouth. "I'm tired."

"Yes, punkin," Sam replied for her. "You helped make the mess, you can help clean. That's what happens when you grow up."

"I think I'll stay eight, then."

"If only it were that simple," Yvette said, laughing. "Come on, it won't take long. Really!"

By noon the house was back to normal. Sam tried cleaning the nail polish off the dining room table using a cotton swab and carefully dabbing the finish with acetone, but he finally had to admit defeat.

"Between the blue icing and the purple nail polish, we're developing quite the mementos of our kids' lives." He blew on the last of the goo, dabbed it one more time, and tried to scrape it off using a dull knife. "Nah, it's hopeless! This isn't coming off."

"Next year we'll take them out for pizza or something, let somebody else deal with the mess." She wrapped her arms around him.

"My thoughts exactly!"

"Daddy, can we go ice skating?"

Sam turned and gazed at his daughter. "You can't be serious. I thought you were tired!"

"Yeah, but I want to try out my new skates!"

"Some other time, sweetie." Yvette patted her shoulder. "Your classes start next Saturday morning. We'll see if we can go before then."

"Okay," she mumbled as she carried them to the stairs. "I'll be upstairs doing my homework." She spoke with such a pitiful tone, it was hard not to react with laughter.

"Do you ever remember it being that hard to grow up, Sam?"

"No. My mom was pretty tough and laid down the law. I knew better than to sass or question her. Not that I didn't try when I got older..." He grinned. "But I almost always respected her wishes." He grew silent, thinking about her and how much he missed her.

"My parents were pretty much the same way, and they had to be. If I got a smart mouth in front of the Roches...I don't even want to know what could have happened!" She shuddered, and he put his arms around her. Her voice became a whisper as she said, "They were not nice people, Sam. Sometimes I wonder how I ever survived living in their home."

"Well, I hope that what we have is as far as you can get from that life."

"Oh yes." She rested her cheek against his as she leaned into him. "We've got the best family in the world. And I can't wait to see what the coming years bring!"

"Me neither, Eve."


End file.
